Alabama earns No 1 overall seed in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament as bracket is revealed

The Alabama Crimson Tide were revealed to be the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday after winning the SEC Tournament Championship. 

The team will play either the South Regional’s Southeast Missouri State or Texas A&M Corpus-Christi. Those two will compete to earn the No. 16 seed in the bracket.

The Crimson Tide defeated Missouri to win the SEC. Alabama has won the conference tournament championship nine times in program history and improved to 29-5 overall ahead of the Big Dance. The program has been marred by controversy after Darius Miles was charged with murder and Brandon Miller allegedly played a role in the fatal shooting.

The Houston Cougars were named the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional even as they lost the American Athletic Conference tournament championship to Memphis earlier in the day. They are the No. 2 overall seed. The Cougars will play Northern Kentucky in the first round.

The Kansas Jayhawks were named the No. 1 seed in the West Regional. The Jayhawks will take on Howard in the first round. Bill Self is set to be on the sideline as he was discharged from the hospital. Kansas lost to Texas in the Big 12 Championship.

The Purdue Boilermakers received the final No. 1 seed in the East Regional. Purdue defeated Penn State in the Big Ten Championship and will play the winner between Fairleigh Dickson and Texas Southern in the first round.

Defending national champion North Carolina failed to make the tournament after a disappointing 2022-2023 campaign.

First-round games are set for Thursday and Friday while second-round games are set for Saturday and Sunday. The Final Four will begin Saturday, April 1, with the winner of the South Regional taking on the winner of the East Regional and the Midwest Regional winner taking on the West Regional winner. The national championship will be played on April 3.

South Region

(1) Alabama vs. (16) Texas A&M-CC/SE Missouri State

(8) Maryland vs. (9) West Virginia

(5) San Diego State vs. (12) College of Charleston

(4) Virginia vs. (13) Furman

(6) Creighton vs. (11) NC State

(3) Baylor vs. (14) UC Santa Barbara

(7) Missouri vs. (10) Utah State

(2) Arizona vs. (15) Princeton

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Midwest Region

(1) Houston vs. (16) Northern Kentucky

(8) Iowa vs. (9) Auburn

(5) Miami-FL vs. (12) Drake

(4) Indiana vs. (13) Kent State

(6) Iowa State vs. (11) Mississippi State/Pittsburgh

(3) Xavier vs. (14) Kennesaw State

(7) Texas A&M vs. (10) Penn State

(2) Texas vs. (15) Colgate

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West Regional

(1) Kansas vs. (16) Howard

(8) Arkansas vs. (9) Illinois

(5) Saint Mary’s vs. (12) VCU

(4) UConn vs. (13) Iona

(6) TCU vs. (11) Arizona State/Nevada

(3) Gonzaga vs. (14) Grand Canyon

(7) Northwestern vs. (10) Boise State

(2) UCLA vs. (15) UNC Asheville

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East Regional

(1) Purdue vs. (16) Texas Southern/Fairleigh Dickinson

(8) Memphis vs. (9) Florida Atlantic

(5) Duke vs. (12) Oral Roberts

(4) Tennessee vs. (13) Louisiana

(6) Kentucky vs. (11) Providence

(3) Kansas State vs. (14) Montana State

(7) Michigan State vs. (10) USC

(2) Marquette vs. (15) Vermont